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MFA Backup/Account Recovery

MFA Backup/Account Recovery

This article details what you should do to prepare for the potential loss of access to the Microsoft Authenticator app for MFA.

Phones can become lost, stolen, damaged, or will eventually be replaced. Please set up alternative MFA options ahead of time as a contingency plan. We encourage you to pick more than one. If you do not have additional methods on your account and you lose access to your Microsoft Authenticator app, you will need to contact the CIT HelpDesk to have your MFA methods reset.

Before You Start

  1. Follow the steps in our MFA Management Self Help guide to add additional MFA methods to your account

  2. Back up account credentials in the Microsoft Authenticator app

The Microsoft Authenticator app backs up your account credentials and related app settings, such as the order of your accounts, to the cloud. You can then use the app to recover your information on a new device, however, only the account name for Work or school accounts is backed up. You will need to sign in to your Geneseo account again, which requires MFA.

Steps

You can only restore on devices of the same type (ex. iOS to iOS, not iOS to Android). If you switched device type, you will need to set up your accounts from scratch in the Authenticator app.

  1. Restore account credentials from Microsoft Authenticator - Microsoft Support

  2. Sign-in to your Geneseo account again

    1. If you still have your old device, you can use the push notification from Microsoft Authenticator to complete number matching for your account sign-in on your new device

    2. If you no longer have your old device, choose Sign-in a different way and use one of the alternative MFA methods you set up

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